Oman signs key port deal with Iran

Oman's top Port, Salalah, has signed a basic agreement with two key Iranian southern trade terminals in what is expected to make the Persian Gulf state Iran’s new biggest trade partner in the region, replacing the United Arab Emirates.

According to Press TV, the agreement has been signed with Shahid Rajaee Port, Iran's biggest cargo port in Bandar Abbas located at the Strait of Hormuz, and with Chabahar port which is located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman.

Based on the agreement, an all-water route between the three ports will be jointly promoted, different news agencies have reported.

The Port of Salalah will provide advice on infrastructure development and the modernization of the two Iranian ports as well as workforce training.

Officials in Oman say the move would "facilitate growth in shipping, trade and commerce" between the two countries.

“This agreement provides an opportunity for the three ports to complement and significantly enhance each other’s value proposition by providing the industries in their hinterlands gateways for wider markets by leveraging on the location of the partner ports,” David Gledhill, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Salalah, has been quoted by the media as saying.

"We also envisage the landlocked countries adjacent to Iran to use the existing multilateral agreements for transport corridors to access new markets."

Salalah is Oman’s main trans-shipment port, and handled 2.6 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) of container trade last year as well as 12.5 million tons of bulk cargo, Reuters reported.